World Cup 2014: Socceroos' report card after Group B losses to Spain, Chile and the Netherlands

Socceroos graded ... Mile Jedinak's composure in midfield was a vital ingredient of some excellent team performances.

Getty Images: Cameron Spencer

The Socceroos' World Cup campaign is over after meeting predictions of three straight Group B losses in Brazil.

What nobody expected was how well Australia would play despite defeats to Chile, Netherlands and Spain - teams all rated significantly higher in FIFA's world rankings.

The Socceroos are adamant they are disappointed by not taking their opportunities to pull off shock results, particularly against Chile and the Netherlands, but their performances have gained a newfound respect for Australia in world football.

Grandstand, playing the headmaster, grades each part of the Socceroos' campaign after an overall performance that left many smiles on Australian fans' faces.

Overall: B+

Defining moment

ABC NewsNo surprises for guessing Tim Cahill's volley against the Netherlands stole the show. An exquisite first-time shot from a ball that came over his shoulder and onto his left foot, Cahill's stunner levelled the game against the Netherlands immediately after going 1-0 down.

Player of the campaign

Cahill also undoubtedly goes down as the Socceroos' best. Time and time again, he pulled his team back from the brink to trigger strong, spirited finishes. In an incredible career swansong, Cahill also notched up his fifth goal in World Cups, having scored in all three tournaments he has played in.

Despite three losses, the Socceroos surprised their own fans at their desire to upset the odds, so much so that the rest of the world took serious notice.

The attitude of the players was exemplary from arriving in Brazil to its 3-0 loss to Spain, with each player carrying themselves superbly as representatives overseas.

On the pitch, the brave losses to teams ranked well above them filled Australian onlookers with immense pride.

Ange Postecoglou ensured his team was driven by a desire to prove its doubters wrong, and against both Chile and the Netherlands, the Socceroos nearly achieved the impossible.

Tim Cahill's World Cup swansong was the story of Australia's tournament, while a more pacy, agile Socceroos outfit showed the team has reinvented itself from its more aggressive style of old.

Defensive lapses ultimately proved the difference between the team and its world class opposition, but the coach's aim to restore pride in the Socceroos jumper and develop his team ahead of the 2015 Asian Cup has been met in almost all facets.

Jedinak and Mark Milligan were exemplary in asserting genuine periods of dominance against Chile, while Bresciano's creativity came to the fore even at the age of 34.

Milligan's injury against Chile ended his campaign, but Matt McKay stepped in superbly to continue the water-carrying role alongside Jedinak against the Dutch.

Jedinak's composure saw him net an ice-cold penalty against the Netherlands as the Australians briefly entered dreamland with a 2-1 lead.

The captain's equanimity provided the perfect foil for Australia's assualt on more vaunted opponents.

Under Ange Postecoglou's new regime, the passing in midfield has improved immeasurably, with Australia at last able to play the possession game at the highest level.

With the pressure that comes as underdogs under constant assault, the men in the middle were consistently able to pass their way out of trouble, rather than hoofing the ball away from danger.

The team's closing down also set a quick tempo which Chile and the Netherlands were never quite comfortable with.

Campaign fatigue meant the midfield was never quite at the races against Spain, which possesses the world's best passers in the middle of the park.

The only worry lies over where Australia's creative spark will come from after Bresciano eventually calls it a day. Nevertheless, the defensive midfield stocks look secure in Jedinak, Milligan and McKay's hands.

Defence: C

Be honest: many of us were expecting a World Cup featuring losses akin to the 6-0 hammerings Australia copped at the hands of Brazil and France in 2013.

The fact that no thrashing eventuated is cause for quiet praise, although the promise that Alex Wilkinson and Matthew Spiranovic's pairing at centre-back showed in the pre-tournament friendly with Croatia failed to truly blossom.

The best back four proved to be Spiranovic and Wilkinson, sandwiched by full-backs Jason Davidson and Ivan Franjic. That unit conceded two goals early on to Chile before stabilising, allowing Australia to take the game to the South Americans.

Chile's third goal came more as a sucker-punch than anything else, and the back four was disrupted by Franjic's tournament-ending injury.

The three goals conceded to each of Netherlands and Spain told a more honest story, as the Socceroos were caught too far up the pitch for the Dutch's opener.

Two more goals would follow as the Netherlands won 3-2, while Australia was systematically dismantled by Spain.

The defence collectively got plenty of blocks and interceptions in across the three matches, but moments of poor concentration proved to be the team's undoing.

There is plenty of room for improvement at the back, although Davidson's performances at left-back - albeit in a more attacking sense - were worthy of praise.

Coach: A

Top marks go to Postecoglou, who in the briefest of tenures has regenerated a flailing, rudderless national team into a passionate side clear of purpose.

Having won two A-League championships with the Brisbane Roar, he has transferred that team's ability in possession with the ball to the Socceroos, who are now developing bubbling chemistries in midfield.

Barely known outside Australian shores, Postecoglou will no doubt have raised eyebrows overseas at his ability to raise Australia's game from a physical, perhaps aggressive style of play to a more dynamic, energetic and technically better state.

Ultimately, Postecoglou has instilled pride back in the Australian jumper, both for players and followers, with the narrow loss to Netherlands arguably the tournament highlight which drew unanimous praise from Australia's press and fans alike.

The Socceroos fans' enthusiasm must have been infectious, as the team's on-pitch performances proved.

Back in Australia, SBS has reported mega TV ratings for the World Cup so far. For the match against the Netherlands, 871,000 bleary-eyed viewers tuned in for the 2:00am fixture. No surprises then that the match dominated its time slot.